Paperclip Promise
by DeJean Smith
Summary: Ten years ago, sixteen-year-old Bella Swan and seventeen-year-old Edward Cullen met at a summer camp for academically gifted high school students at Northwestern University. After a meet and greet where they discovered a mutual love of quirky collections—he, bowties, and she, paperclips—a friendship blossomed. A Babies at the Border offering.
1. Chapter 1

**This was my entry for the Babies at the Border compilation. I do intend to add to it once a few other of my WIPs are tied up. Many, many thanks to Midnight Cougar for her help tidying up my grammar and listening to me bounce ideas left and right and not fussing as I hold to my old-school two-spaces-after-a-period ways. Also, Readergoof worked her banner-fu and made the most wondermous banner for me. I am blessed.**

 **Title:** Paperclip Promise

 **Author:** DeJean Smith

 **Beta:** Midnight Cougar

 **Banner:** Becca Moore (Readergoof)

 **Rating:** T

 **Summary:** Ten years ago, sixteen-year-old Bella Swan and seventeen-year-old Edward Cullen met at a summer camp for academically gifted high school students at Northwestern University. After a meet and greet where they discovered a mutual love of quirky collections—he, bowties, and she, paperclips—a friendship blossomed.

Edward knew his moving to Europe at the end of the summer would prevent anything further from developing between them, so he didn't push. As a farewell gift, however, Edward presented Bella a ring that was nothing more than a paperclip he bent and put into the material lab's gold coater. Nonetheless, she treasured it even after they lost touch.

Fast forward to the present, and newly minted PhD graduate Bella is at a conference in the windy city. Making a mistake on which bar the post-doc reception is to be at, Bella finds herself at McCarty's instead of McCracken's, where a very handsome, very familiar kilted bartender welcomes her in out of the Chicago cold.

 **Word count:** 3854 (not counting summary and end notes)

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the author of this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Paperclip Promise

 **Ten years ago, sixteen-year-old Bella Swan and seventeen-year-old Edward Cullen met at a summer camp for academically gifted high school students at Northwestern University. After a meet and greet where they discovered a mutual love of quirky collections—he, bowties, and she, paperclips—a friendship blossomed.**

 **Edward knew his moving to Europe at the end of the summer would prevent anything further from developing between them, so he didn't push. As a farewell gift, however, Edward presented Bella a ring that was nothing more than a paperclip he bent and put into the material lab's gold coater. Nonetheless, she treasured it even after they lost touch.**

 **Fast forward to the present, and newly minted PhD graduate Bella is at a conference in the windy city. Making a mistake on which bar the post-doc reception is to be at, Bella finds herself at McCarty's instead of McCracken's, where a very handsome, very familiar kilted bartender welcomes her in out of the Chicago cold.**

 _2:00 a.m., September 5, 2008_

 _Hello!_

 _(Or should that be 'Cheerio'? You being in England and all that.) Great, now I want cereal. Back in a few._

 _I'm back. We were out of Cheerios, so Honey Bunches of Oats or ohs or whatever they are called had to suffice. (TBH, it was the knock-off version so…) Don't think I woke Charlie up, but eh._

 _I was thrilled to get your letter today. Wait, it's after midnight, so yesterday. Just finished AP Calc homework. Brain's a little fried._

 _I think it only took a week for your letter to get here from London to Forks._

 _So, it's not as rainy there as you thought it would be, eh? I told you that you had watched too many 'Doctor Who' episodes. And 'Sherlock Holmes'. Grin._

 _School started, and it took Jessica exactly two minutes, eight seconds to discover the ring you gave me._

 _That was exciting._

 _NOT!_

 _I had to convince her it was a gift from a friend, but she is certain we are star-crossed lovers fated to find true love. She thinks we're the next Harry and Sally or some such. What do you expect from someone who's (whose? I never can remember the right word) life's ambition is to work at Hooters? I shit you not. Hooters. And not even the one in Seattle. The one in Port Angeles!_

 _Oye._

 _I met someone who understood my strange, quirky, undying love of paperclips. Is that so unusual? I don't think so. And my friend bent one into a ring and put it in the gold coater in the material's lab because I prefer gold to silver. So now, I have a piece of jewelry professing my love of paperclips. Is that so strange? I don't think so._

 _Bah. /rant_

 _Do you think your dad will let you get a Facebook account? Lauren and Jessica said it's really coo, and we could friend each other, and then chat in real time. I know you said he's got to be careful due to his job and his clearance level and all, but I didn't know if you could have one._

 _So, what classes are you taking at that fancy schmancy British boarding school? I've got AP Calc, AP Lit, AP Anatomy, AP US Gov and Econ, AP Biology, and AP Music Theory. It shouldn't be too hard after Achiever's, right?_

 _Wow. It doesn't seem like it's been three weeks since Academic Achiever's, does it? And I didn't think I'd miss Northwestern's dining hall, but I kinda do. Even if it was just the company. You, Eric, even James. At least you all understood what I was talking about. (See Jessica reference above. It's going to be a long, long year). I miss you, my friend._

 _Crap. Charlie just told me I need to get some sleep, so I'll close._

 _Write when you can._

 _Bella_

 _November 23, 2008_

 _Sorry I haven't written sooner. Turns out Lit is a little more time-consuming than I thought it would be. And I'd much rather derive equations than debate whether or not the tiger in 'Life of Pi' is real or a metaphor. Or is it metaphysical? English terms are not my thing._

 _So, driving on the left side of the road is an experience? Hope the guardrail didn't leave too big of a mark on your dad's car. Or that the bill won't be too bad._

 _I think my application to Northwestern is about complete. I really enjoyed spending the summer there, and if I can get enough scholarship money, I would like to go there after graduation. If not, there's always UW. Renee's trying to get me to come to some little school in Florida, but you've seen how pale I am. No, thank you._

 _Not sure that either of my parents are ready to send their just-turned-17-year-old-daughter to the big city. Tough. I'm not staying here in Forks._

 _Sorry your dad said no to Facebook. I can kind of understand, to be honest. I've been on it twice and there is a lot of strange stuff there. It keeps saying, "Bella Swan is …." And I'm supposed to come up with some pithy answer. I may delete my account. Unless you get one. That might be the only redeeming value._

 _I tried to grow the seeds I had radiated during Achiever's. So far, nothing has happened. Not even a sprout. Maybe I just have a black thumb. I'm not sure I want to go into botany, anyhow. (I know that's a jump in topic—it made sense in my brain. Achiever's. The seeds. My class in botany. My to-be-declared major. I knew you'd get it. Friends understand each other.)_

 _Thank you for the Tardis paperclips. Or is it TARDIS? T.A.R.D.I.S.? I know you Whovians get picky about such things. Anyway, I love them. Glad you liked the bowtie. I thought it was pretty clever with its "If you can read this, you're too effing close!" writing and all._

 _I still wear my ring every day. It reminds me of a friend that really got me, something that sometimes seems so difficult to comprehend here in Forks._

 _Write when you can._

 _B_

 _March 15, 2009_

 _Beware the Ides of…_

 _Yeah, even I have to agree that's cheesy. Sue me. *smile*_

 _Congrats on getting into that school you wanted to go to. I'm still waiting to hear from financial aid at NW. It's hella expensive. Ouch! Washington is looking more and more a possibility. Maybe Northwestern for grad school._

 _In answer to your question, Jacob and I have been going out for two months now. I think he's going to ask me to prom. I don't know. I'm not a dancer, and I don't want him to think there's some sort of future for us. I don't see living here once I graduate, and he can't go anywhere else. I told you about his dad, right? Wheelchair. Sisters have moved away. He's next in line to be chief on the rez. Sound familiar? But we're having fun doing the movie thing and bonfire thing and basketball game thing, and that's what senior year should be about, right?_

 _Jessica, the fount of all things relational and aspiring wearer of teeny, orange shorts, says Jacob and I are too much like brother and sister to date. Granted, I have known him since we were little, but still. I don't have time to argue with her._

 _Are you still seeing Tanya? I can only assume she said yes when you asked her to go to the Valentine's dance. I mean, really. Who wouldn't want to go out with Mr. Microtome?_

 _Oh! I heard a joke for you. How did the English major define microtome? As an itty, bitty book!_

 _Waahhh wah waaaahhhhh!_

 _No, I'm never going to let you forget that class. At least you didn't get the golden onion award in Macrobiology._

 _No one from Forks got accepted to Achiever's this year. Not sure that anyone applied, to be honest. I'm at a school where half of the people are still holding out for grunge to return and the other half are tech school bound. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but it's not for me._

 _No, I'm not going to burst into song about wanting adventure in the great…yeah, you get me. Name's Bell-ah, not Belle._

 _And, you've heard me sing. Not pretty._

 _(This is me smacking you in the arm for agreeing so quickly—hateu, not really. Oh, great. Now I've got a paperclip cut on my hand.)_

 _Need to go._

 _You need to get Facebook! I wanna see your mug at least one more time before we become the newly graduated Class of 2009!_

 _B._

 _P.S. I need an address to send you a graduation announcement unless you want me to send it to you at school. I know you can't come, but … well, if you think about it, send me one!_

 _April 17, 2009_

 _So… I'll try not to snot on this letter._

 _FAFSA sucks._

 _A lot_

 _Hard._

 _Fuck FAFSA._

 _Fuck it all. Fuck parents that didn't think to get legally divorced when they separated._

 _Fifteen._

 _Years._

 _Ago!_

 _So, as a result, I'm the child of a two-income family, and according to FAFSA, should have no problem coming up with the $40,000 tuition to go to Northwestern._

 _Much less the room and board, and God forbid I want to eat._

 _Or buy books._

 _Or…._

 _So, they went all Soup Nazi and said, "No loans or scholarships for you!"_

 _I'm going to go outside and scream. Be right back._

 _& %$*(&^%$^!_

 _So, it took a few hours, but I'm back. And feeling a little better._

 _Aren't you sooooo glad you offered to be my sounding board? God, it's frustrating. Thank you for listening. Jake was NOT sympathetic at all. He just shrugged and asked me to hand him a wrench. Boy's lucky I didn't throw it at him._

 _Not that UW is a hellhole. It's actually really nice. And is my second choice. But I wanted to go to Northwesternnnnnnnnn!_

 _Yes, I'm pouting._

 _Fuck._

 _Now I'm crying again._

 _Snot funny, Cullen. I can hear you laughing at my red face._

 _*This is me, sticking my tongue out in the general direction of England.*_

 _So, looks like I'll be a Husky come fall. Rah!_

 _B._

 _June 10, 2009_

 _I'm a graduate! Whoo-hoo! A whole summer without having to worry about summer reading and opinion journals and what period my lunch is going to be._

 _Sounds perfect._

 _Now if I can just keep Mike Newton away from me during my shifts at work, I'll be golden. Fool heard I broke up with Jake and has been following me around like a lost puppy. I can't seem to get him to understand I'm not interested. Kinda like, what you said happened with Irena after you and Tanya broke up. Weird._

 _So, when does school end for you? Have you decided where you're going to university? Did you get my invite slash announcement for graduation?_

 _That project you told me about sounds really cool. Making a mill out of a paint mixer and adding rubber and plastic together with ball bearings? Wow. My friend is a genius! That school must be really something. Just be careful with the liquid nitrogen, okay? Don't want to freeze anything important!_

 _Miss you!_

 _B._

Four weeks later, Bella Swan received the last few letters she had written to Edward Cullen in return mail, all marked "return to sender" and "no forwarding address known." Even though she occasionally searched online for any reference to her friend, she never could find him, leaving her with a reoccurring sense of what-might-have-been.

January 2019

"…and so, as evidenced in the micrograph in image 4b, you can see the radial alignment of the Kevlar fibers extruded in the fiber extrusion process developed by DuPont scientists. PPTA molecules are aligned and the molecular orientation begins to collapse once extruded from the spinneret."

Bella wanted to pound her head on the table in front of her as she listened to the fifth master's and PhD thesis presentation in two days. Hosting the Materials Research Society, or MRS as it was known, was a huge feather in the university's cap, and the Materials Science Department insisted its graduate students and post-doctoral fellows participate in as many talks as possible. It all was extremely fascinating, truly, but having arrived two weeks earlier and just prior to the start of the Winter Quarter, every waking moment was precious. She had a laboratory to set up, paperwork to fill out, underlings to vet, and eleven billion glass slides to clean thanks to the previous post-doc's treating the basement lab of Cook Hall as his or her own personal dumping ground. She could sleep once she found a permanent job, right?

A small slip of paper was pushed toward her. Bella glanced over at her neighbor, Alice Whitlock, whose eyes never left the speaker. Alice's lips twitched a touch as she withdrew her hand from the note. A brilliant mind in the fiber field, Alice had welcomed the newest biomaterials post-doc. She became Bella's hero when she properly put Aro Volturi in his place when he had suggested the two were at Northwestern to earn their Mrs. degrees. The two became fast friends, and Aro received a one-sided discussion with the chair of the department.

 _Post-doc reception has been moved to McC's Pub. Free liquor for putting up with this very long day._

Bella smiled and nodded slightly.

 _Meet you there_ , she wrote before sliding the paper back.

Clad in a warm pair of black, wool trousers and a sapphire blue, cowl-neck sweater, Bella emerged from her Uber and entered McCracken's Pub. She looked around the bar for her associates. The place was small and dark but cozy. Rocking Celtic music filled the space with a soothing warmth that drew her in. She made a careful circuit, searching for Alice or any of her other lab mates, but to no avail.

With a deep sigh, she pulled out her cell, losing her balance and tottering briefly. She instinctively reached out to steady herself, grabbing the nearest person by the arm.

"Ho there, friend," a deep baritone laced with a hint of amusement soothed. "Night's too young to be teeterin' like that already."

Quickly gathering herself, Bella planted both feet firmly and looked up at the source of the voice. She blinked, awestruck at the sooty-fringed, deep green eyes crinkled in mirth that moved from her face to her hand clutching his arm and then back to her.

"Ya good now?"

She looked down and realized she had yet to let go. Bella began to mumble apologies and excuses about her heel catching on the wooden floor, only to have her words kindly waved off.

"Is nothing but a thing, Miss. Em's been meaning to refinish the floors, but it hasn't happened just yet. You steady?"

Bella nodded and released his arm.

"Can I help you with anything? You look lost," he continued.

She took a good look at the man, head covered in a lopsided beanie; knobby, cream sweater; dark blue with red thread kilt; and black, buckled shit-kickers. Suddenly, Bella realized he had a case of glassware in his hands and blanched at the thought that she could have tripped them both up enough to cause him to drop it.

"And now you look pale." Promptly, he set down the case and pulled a barstool out, gently gliding her into it. "Do you need some water or something to eat or…?"

Bella shook her head. "Just thinking of what could have happened if I'd made you drop that."

"Eh, life's too short to be thinking about the what-could-have-happened."

He picked up the glassware and stowed it behind the bar, giving her a moment to gather herself.

Bella pulled up her text messages and found four from Alice wondering where she was.

"I was supposed to meet some people here for a reception." She thought that since he worked there he would know of a back room or something where they might be.

"At McCarty's? No. Don't think anything's booked for tonight."

"McCarty's? Crap. I'm supposed to be at McCracken's!" Bella pulled out her phone and checked on Waze. She was thirty minutes in the opposite direction of the pub she was supposed to be. Bella had already run late, having spent a little too long clearing out part of the mess the prior post-doc had left in her lab. Even if she was lucky enough to get a cab immediately, there was no guarantee she could make it in time for food.

Her stomach rumbled loudly, and she was certain it could be heard over the sounds of flute and guitar from the stage. A warm chuckle pulled her from her thoughts and a menu was slid in front of her.

"I can highly recommend the burger and chips. Er, fries. Unless you're the salad type. Rose's wedge salad is quite good."

Bella's stomach placed its vote for the burger and a Strongbow from the tap. With a smile, the bartender punched in her order and pulled her a drink while she tapped out a response to Alice about being at the wrong place. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him watching her with curiosity. She was flattered. He was handsome and had a faint lilt to his voice that reminded her of her favorite British actor. Bella straightened in her chair and tugged at her sweater to smooth it and make herself more presentable. Then she read Alice's response, letting her know the reception had been predictably boring with bottom-shelf cocktails, light beers, and overcooked chicken tenders.

"Get it settled?" he asked, pouring a row of shots for a group of men celebrating across the room.

"I think so," Bella replied, as she relaxed at the bar. "I just picked the wrong McC's to go to, but I can't say I'm disappointed."

She liked McCarty's. There was a hominess and a sense of comfort the average brass and fern could not compete with. And the handsome bartender was a not-too-shabby bonus, either.

"I'll tell Emmett you said so."

"Emmett?"

The bartender nodded toward the man playing guitar on stage who was saying his thank yous as he set down his instrument and headed toward them. He was a huge man, well over six and a half feet tall, but with a mischievous, child-like innocence about him.

"Good set, Em."

"Thanks. Nice to take a stretch." Emmett smiled at Bella, taking a place behind the bar. "Appreciate you covering for Garrett."

"Anytime I'm in town, you know I will."

The man Bella thought to be the bartender grabbed a glass and the soda hose, fixed himself a drink, and slid out from behind the polished wood bar.

"Lady here thinks your place is better than McCracken's."

"Well, I would hope so, else I'd be out of a job! Hey, Rosie!"

Bella turned to see a pretty, blonde woman carrying a tray laden with two delicious looking burgers with steak fries.

"Burger special with fries?" she inquired, laying the plate in front of Bella and the second in front of the man she had thought to be the bartender.

"Kate will be back tomorrow, Em. I'm going to finish up payroll. Buzz me if another food order comes in."

Emmett nodded, leaning across the bar, puckering his lips for a kiss. The woman rolled her eyes, smiling that indulgent smile women in love had for their silly men, and granted his wish. Bella almost felt like an intruder as the two whispered "I love yous," and Rosie headed toward the office in the back of the pub.

"Get ready for the best burger in the greater Chicagoland area," Emmett promised, motioning toward her plate.

Bella noticed the other man's burger was almost half gone and the slightly apologetic grin he gave her as he wiped a bit of grease off the scruff of beard that graced his chin and jaw. Bella blinked. For a brief moment, she recognized that smile, but could not place it.

"Your food's going to get cold, B." He motioned toward her plate.

Trying to recollect where she had seen that crooked smile, Bella reached for her burger and dove in. The groan of appreciation as the first glorious bits of beef and bun hit her taste buds would have embarrassed most women, but she was not a frou-frou type gal. Good food deserved to be appreciated, and she tackled the burger with a coming appetite.

"So, recent move?" he asked.

She had just polished off her last few fries. "That obvious?" Bella looked over at him.

"You came in without a coat. In January."

"Who says I'm not the 'slave to fashion' type?" She smiled, enjoying the easy banter the two were having.

"Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. But most slaves to fashion wouldn't have touched Emmett's pub burger with a ten foot fork."

"True. And it was delicious. Thank you for the recommendation." She picked up her glass and drained the last bit of cidery goodness.

"That's an interesting ring."

Bella looked down at her right hand and smiled softly at the memory.

"A good friend made it for me years ago."

"Is that a paperclip?"

"Yep. I collect them. And he collected bowties, so the bow reminds me of him."

She missed the smile that broadened on his face as she looked down at her index finger.

"He had it gold-plated at the camp we met at ten years ago. I've had it recoated twice because I don't take it off unless I'm doing something in the lab that requires it."

"Lab?" He leaned closer to hear her over the next band's first song. She found that she liked his closeness and the soapy green cologne he wore.

"I'm doing a post-doc at Northwestern. I came here for a summer camp in high school and fell in love with the school. Also, I made some good friends." Bella sighed wistfully. "I just wonder sometimes if he ever realized just how much I needed him at that time in my life."

He nodded and motioned for her to continue, not minding her rambling memory, or so it appeared to her.

"Anyway, I promised I'd always remember him, and he promised the same. Unfortunately, we lost touch."

"That happens."

"Sucks, but yeah."

He laughed, and she joined in, finding his sense of humor endearing.

"Can I ask you something?" Bella inquired, earning a nod from her companion. "Don't you find a kilt a bit cold for a Chicago winter?"

He beamed then chuckled.

"I had a funeral today, and my niece requested I wear my kilt."

Bella immediately sobered and began to apologize, but he held up a hand.

"Rockefeller Killian MacKenzie Rootbeer McCarty lived a good and long life."

"Rockefeller…"

He nodded, a big grin gracing his striking face. Once again, she thought she recognized him, but the exact name and place just escaped her.

"The best damn beta fish one could hope to have. My niece wanted a proper funeral instead of just flushing him down the loo."

Bella couldn't help herself and snorted, covering her mouth when she did so. "You have to think I'm horrible for laughing, but…"

"Oh, no, Bella. I never thought you were anything but wonderful."

Bella's eyes widened as she realized they had never exchanged names.

She looked over at him to see he had pulled up the sleeve on his right wrist, revealing a small tattoo of a paperclip at the base of his thumb.

Her wide eyes met his expectant ones before she looked back down at the tattoo. Hesitantly, she grazed her index finger over the black ink.

"Ed-Edward? How… I—"

"I made a promise."

Nearly tipping over the barstool in her haste, Bella threw her arms around her long-lost friend and melted into a hug that was worth the ten-year wait.

 **NOTES, BECAUSE I ALWAYS INCLUDE PERSONAL STUFF IN MY STORIES:**

 **DH & I met at a summer camp for math and science geeks when we were 16. It told him science was the way to go, me not so much.**

 **DD2 loves bowties & has a shirt that says "If you can read this, you are too close."**

 **DH's undergrad roommate went to Northwestern for his PhD, and since that's in the greater Chicago area and Chicago is canon, I chose that school.**

 **The classes Bella takes as a senior? Those are mostly my daughter's senior year schedule.**

 **FAFSA hell? That happened to one of my best friends from high school. Her parents didn't officially divorce until she was in her 20s, even though they were separated when she was 2.**

 **Edward's making a mill out of a paint mixer to blend rubber and plastic? DH's PhD dissertation.**

 **The droning Kevlar talk in 2019? Straight from DH's master's thesis (paraphrased).**

 ****note—I had this backwards in the compilation *blushes***

 **The Mrs. degree? Happened to me. I got my BA in 1992, got married in 1993, and got my MSLS in 1994. One of my coworkers (co-irkers?) noticed & made the comment. I wasn't amused.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This was my contribution to the Babies at the Border part 2 compilation…if you have not read chapter one, I would recommend hitting the little 'previous' or 'first' button at the bottom and getting Bella and Edward's backstory.**

"So, let me get this straight. You haven't seen or even heard from this Edward person for over ten years, and thanks to getting names mixed up, you run into him last night when you went to the wrong bar. Which, thank you very much, Missy, means you owe me big time. I got stuck with Mike and his ever frat-boy-flirt-a-licious self."

Bella blinked twice as she listened to Alice pontificate while selecting just the right ingredients for her salad in the dining hall.

"Ooh, it's Thursday. That means there are garlic knots over at the Italian bar."

Again, Bella blinked as she watched the diminutive woman trot over to said food service station and load up a small bowl.

" _Can I get your number, Bella?"_

Agate green eyes filled with uncertainty filled her memory as she remembered Edward pulling a perfect beer and handing it to one of rush of customers that filled the bar.

"Yo, Bella! Are we eating or are we contemplating belly button lint?"

A quick shake of her head cleared the memories from her mind, and Bella gave a wan smile to Alice who had a garlic knot shoved in her mouth, her cheek billowed out like a chipmunk's.

A few minutes later, the two friends were ensconced at a table in a quiet part of the dining hall, and after Alice set her napkin in her lap, her silverware just so, and her drink at the ready, the woman laced her fingers together and rested her chin on them.

"So, darling, tell Auntie Alice everything."

Bella snorted, shaking her head at the mock-innocent look her friend sported.

"What? You've been distracted all day. Hell, even that kid talking about Molly instead of Molybdenum in this morning's talk didn't even get a rise out of you."

"I don't know, Alice. It was surreal." She rubbed the little bowtie ring on her finger, sliding it from one side to the other, before picking up a cherry tomato and popping it into her mouth. She thoughtfully chewed as she tried to give words to how she was feeling.

"He was my best friend in all the world. For a summer, we talked about everything in the world, and we promised to stay friends no matter what. Then he was gone. I have no idea if he tried to keep in touch, but I sure as hell did."

Bella took a deep breath and slowly released it.

"But you two didn't get to talk last night?"

"No. Right after I realized who he was a crowd came in, and he was swamped at the bar."

"You've got his number, right?"

She nodded as she pulled out her phone and made sure the entry had not miraculously disappeared overnight.

"But he hasn't texted yet."

"Well," Alice grunted around another garlic knot before chewing quickly and swallowing. "If he was working a bar last night, he may not have gotten home until early this morning and may still be in bed."

Bella pictured a sleep rumpled man, shirtless and tangled in crisp, white sheets.

"You're blushing! I take it this Edward is a handsome man?"

"Alice…"

"Well, you already said he was wearing a kilt so that gives him fashion points in my book." Alice picked up her drink and toasted the notion of what men don't wear under their kilts before taking a sip. "And judging from the continued blush, I'm going to say he's aged well."

"So well." Bella shook her head. The handsome young man she had known had been replaced by an even more so specimen.

"Any rings?" Alice waggled the ring finger of her left hand to emphasize what she meant.

"Not that I remember. Just a tattoo."

"ORLY?"

"A paperclip."

Alice knew her friend's love of said office supply and smiled wisely.

"So maybe he didn't forget me?" Bella's voice was meek and hopeful.

"I don't think he did." Alice reached across the table and squeezed Bella's hand encouragingly. "Besides, it's not like you can't text him and invite him out. Give you a good excuse not to go to another MRS after hours."

So she did.

*Shit!*

Bella cursed as she caught her backpack on the doorknob, effectively horse collaring herself. This always happened. The more in a hurry she was, the more dangerous to her physical well-being she became.

*Dammit*

Her phone binged an alarm, reminding her just how behind in her plans she was. Edward was taking her to dinner tonight to explain his disappearance all those years ago. She wanted to look nice, not wear her lab clothes and smell of chemicals. She had planned on a shower and a best friend approved outfit lay on her bed waiting.

Damned Mike and his thousand inane questions that delayed her almost an hour.

A quick glance at the time told her she had thirty minutes to get ready. Maybe. Bella seemed to remember Edward habitually was early, a trait she used to admire, but right now, it was raising her blood pressure.

Tossing her backpack toward a corner, Bella began to strip her shirt off while toeing off her shoes.

Or, more appropriately, she attempted to strip off her shirt while toeing off her shoes. In a moment of cranial flatulence, Bella forgot she was wearing lace-up boots and that her long-sleeved blouse required the buttons at her wrists to be unfastened before taking off. With her shirt over her face, blinding her, Bella squirmed and wrestled, trying to yank it back down, but her feet tangled with one another, knocking her off balance.

Then she fell.

Whether it was fortuitous to be near the sofa so she landed on something soft or unlucky because she fell so far over the piece of furniture that she found herself high and dry with her feet off the floor, wriggling free herself, she would never know. Regardless, it was with her ass in the air, shirt caught over her head with her arms tangled that she heard a familiar voice.

"Bella?"

*Fuck!*

She pushed with her elbows, trying to pivot over the back of the sofa, but once again, she was unevenly balanced and could not do a thing.

"Bella, love, be still. You're going to hurt yourself."

She heard the door shut and a few steps toward her.

"I'm going to touch you at your waist, if that's okay."

Edward's voice was soft and soothing, calming her.

"I need to hear the words, Bella. I'm not going to touch you without your permission."

Something about the tone he took startled her, as if her friend was no longer in the room.

"Do you accept my help?"

"Yes."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth then warm hands touched her hips. She jumped, eliciting a soothing murmur.

"On three. One. Two. Three."

On the count, she found herself gently lifted and placed on her feet. His hands never left her waist as she regained her balance and wiggled her shirt down.

"Um, hi," Bella said with a half-smile, hoping her face was not half as red as it felt. Thank every creator god in the heavens she had put on a new bra this morning.

"Your door was cracked so I knocked and heard a struggle. Thought the worse and came in."

"I am so embarrassed."

"What happened?"

"Meeting ran late, was in a rush, tried to strip while heading to bedroom and…"

"Fell over the couch."

"Fell over the couch. Joy of short legs."

"You're fun sized, remember?"

With a fake scowl, she smacked at his chest, remembering the number of times he had teased her back at camp when she could not reach the top shelves at the library.

Bella suddenly became acutely aware that his hands were still resting gently on her waist and that she did not mind the feeling one bit. The air got a little harder to breathe, and she froze when she realized one of his thumbs was gently rubbing back and forth, soothingly.

"Work ran late?" Edward asked as if discussing the weather.

"Sadly. Mike."

He nodded. She had mentioned her co-irker and his incessant need to appear the smartest in the room.

"You still up for dinner?"

"I really need a shower. I smell…"

"You are lovely, Bella. But if you'd rather I come back in an hour or so?"

"You don't have to go!" She realized how desperate she sounded and paused to take a breath, but in all honesty, a part of her still worried he would disappear and it would be another decade before they caught up. She was not certain she could handle that.

"I mean," she continued, "I'm alright if you stay. I'll be quick."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes."

His hands dropped from her waist, and she immediately missed the warmth.

"You go do whatever you do, and I'll answer a few emails."

Bella's smile was blinding as she paused before running to her bedroom for the quickest, most thorough shower of her life.

Dinner was ordered, drinks were served, and a fresh from the oven yeast roll with smoked salt whipped butter was devoured by the diners as they exchanged pleasantries and settled into the comfortable leather chairs.

Edward raised his glass with a perfectly made Old Fashioned and took a sip.

"So, the large elephant in the room needs to be addressed."

"It does." Bella twirled the garnish stick of her martini in her fingers, hesitant to hear what he had to say.

"And I'm trying to decide if I want to do the band-aid approach or work my way into it. Neither are particularly exciting."

"Why did you disappear? Just answer that, Edward. I wrote you and wrote you and those letters were returned with no forwarding address. There wasn't the internet like we have now. I had no idea if you were alive or dead!"

"I couldn't write you back."

"Were you in a coma?"

"No."

"Kidnapped?"

"No."

"Expelled from school and sent to military college?"

"No."

"You're actually a vampire and getting to close to me put my life in danger so you had to disappear before the powers that be realized we were connected."

"No." It became quickly apparent that he was growing amused with her guesses.

"Father got mixed up with the mob, and you had to go into witness protection?"

"You watch too many B rated television shows."

"That's not a no."

Edward set his drink down on the cocktail napkin provided and straightened it, his eyes not meeting hers.

"My father works for British Intelligence. Hence, his wanting to keep a low profile. No Facebook. No e-mail. No media exposure of any sort. And while finishing school, I was recruited to join him."

"I thought he was a doctor."

"He has several degrees. He's a genius, really."

Bella processed the information, thoughtfully running through her mind what exactly it all meant.

"What do you mean by recruited?"

"I'm really good with computers and electronics."

"Well, I knew that."

She remembered the drone he had created during the summer program and the images it had taken. Edward had been called into the dean's office for a stern talking to over one particular shot involving the chancellor and a co-ed. Or was it video? She could not remember. In the end, Edward had won an award for his project but the university had put restrictions on when and where he could use the drone.

"So, I was given the opportunity to speed up my education and play with some really cool toys."

For a moment, the years dropped away, and she once again saw the young man who loved tinkering and creating. A proud smile graced Bella's face. She understood.

"You got to live your dream."

"In a sense."

"In a sense?"

"I was a nerd. Still am. Just a cooler one because now I can do illegal 'stuff' with government permission."

He grinned broadly, earning one in return.

"But," he continued, his tone and features growing serious, "I had to give up a few things, including the greatest friendship I ever had. I missed you. I missed our talks. And I greatly missed having someone who understood me."

"Surely you were surrounded by those who were of like minds."

"Not exactly."

Something in his tone told her not to push the issue just yet. His eyes tightened and a coldness in his demeanor settled over him.

"But my father has decided to retire," Edward continued after taking a healthy draught of his Old Fashioned, setting the cup back down with a louder than necessary clunk. "And that gave me the opportunity to part ways as well."

"And that's what brought you back to Chicago?"

"Temporarily. We are here to close a few things down and then will be moving."

"Oh." Bella was not ready to give up her newly rediscovered friend.

"Once again, I'm not entirely in control of the situation."

"So, what does that mean?"

"That means I get to have a new start. With conditions. And complications."

At that exact moment, their server placed their salads before them and broke the mood with queries of did everything appear to their satisfaction, would they like fresh ground pepper, and did either party require a refill on their beverages.

Yes.

No.

Absolutely. And this time, make it a double.

The couple slipped into a quiet comfortableness while drinks were refreshed and the salads consumed.

"I've always loved candied walnuts in a salad," Bella observed as she chased down the last little bit of one.

She kicked herself mentally for such a dorky comment, but Edward smiled.

"Bella," he said softly, taking her hand. "I'm still me. Deep down, I am. Some things, I can't talk about. Yet. Some things, I can't ever. But a large part of me is still that goofy, bow tie loving doofus who fell hard for a paperclip loving nerd."

"I thought I was the doofus, and you were the nerd!"

She chose to table the thought train on the whole 'fell hard' revelation, but her heart was not getting the memo and began to beat a little harder. She had truly enjoyed their times together, and he had been her best friend in all the world, someone who understood her, supported her dreams of being a scientist, and had an equally quirky sense of humor.

Memories of being teased once back in high school that she had met her 'soul mate' during that summer flooded her brain.

Had she?

As someone who never truly experienced a fully equal, completely overwhelming and all-consuming relationship, Bella was uncertain what all this meant.

She wondered WWAD. What would Alice do?

 _Buckle up and enjoy the ride!_

Alice gave very good advice, even if she very seldom followed it herself.

"And if at all possible, I'd really like to stay in touch this time," Edward continued, completely oblivious to her cranial acrobatics.

"I'd like that. A lot."

She was certain the joy radiating from his face was equaled by that glowing from her own.

Of all the first date meals in the history of first date meals, Bella and Edward were certain tonight had to be the best one ever. After addressing the why Edward had disappeared off the face of the Earth, the years seemed to fade away and the two spent hours catching up with each other.

Horrible exam results and sleepless all-night study sessions, lousy blind dates and all the reasons not to tip Uber drivers before sitting down in the vehicle were discussed as well as some topics that brought deep blushes from both parties.

At his insistence, Edward walked Bella back to her apartment door, gently swinging her hand in his.

"So, I'll call you tomorrow?" he asked in a low, quiet voice as to not disturb the neighbors.

"Sounds great."

Silence. Neither wanted the other to leave.

"Um. I have a Keurig, if you'd like some coffee," Bella offered, nodding toward the door.

"That sounds wonderful."

A broad grin graced her face, and she pulled out her keys.

"Coats," Bella said, motioning toward the row of hooks before removing her own and hanging it.

When she spun around, he was next to her, his brow furrowed as if he were deep in thought.

"Something wrong?"

"Just debating."

"Never your strong suit," she teased.

"I've won many a debate, Miss Swan."

"Not against me, Mr. Cullen."

"Hmm…"

"Yes, hmmm."

"I was debating the pros and cons of kissing you."

"Oh!" She flushed a delightful shade of pink.

"Yes, oh."

"And?"

"The ayes were winning."

He studied her for a moment, trying to determine her response.

"Aye," she whispered, rising up on her toes to kiss him."

As the kiss grew in intensity, his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her closer. Her arms slid around his neck, her fingertips scratching lightly through the hair on the nape of his neck.

 _When Irish eyes are smiling….._

"Fuck." Edward reached for his back pocket to silence his phone.

"What in the world?" Bella giggled.

"Emmett's sense of humor. McCartney's is an Irish pub, and he has an Irish ringtone set in my phone.

 _When Irish eyes are smiling….._

"You better check it. If he keeps calling back, it has to be important."

Bella stepped back.

"I'll start up the Keurig while you call him," she offered.

He nodded in agreement but waited for her to step away before dialing.

Bella pulled out the matching coffee cups and searched her pantry for a cookie or two to offer while the Keurig warmed up. Just as the bubbly grumble of the water heating sounded, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Warm lips touched her neck lightly.

"I have to go," he whispered in a voice full of regret.

"Go? As in…"

"We've been cleared to leave."

Her body deflated as she realized just what that meant. He was leaving Chicago.

And her.

Edward gently spun her around to face him.

"I have your number, Bella. You have mine. This isn't going to be ten years apart again. Not unless you send me away."

"But where?"

"I can't tell you yet. We have to get settled in first."

"So this is good bye?"

He shook his head. "This is 'see you soon.'"

Tears filled her eyes. With a soothing sigh, he pulled her into his arms and held her close. She felt his phone buzz and sniffled, brushing at an errant tear.

"Don't cry, beautiful."

"I just…"

He silenced her with a kiss.

"Soon," Edward whispered as his phone buzzed again. "I'm going to kill Emmett."

"You're too pretty for jail," Bella giggled.

"Soon."

"Soon." She nodded, agreeing.

And then he was gone.

 _Two months later…_

Bella pulled her luggage through the airport, stepping to the side to pull up the Uber app on her phone.

She smiled wistfully at the selfie Edward had sent her three weeks after their only date that had become her lock screen.

Enough of that, she told herself. She needed to get to the hotel so she could review her presentation at the University of Seattle and then get to sleep. Time changes were a bitch, even if it was only two hours.

 _Your driver, Masen, will be there in five minutes. Vehicle is a silver Volvo._

Bella trudged to the Uber/Lyft/Taxi area and searched for a silver car. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar shock of auburn hair, but it disappeared when she gave it her full attention.

"Isabella?"

She knew that voice and scanned the crowded area for its owner. Then she saw him, a dry erase board in his hands, standing in front of a shiny silver Volvo. Bella ran toward him, laughing as she read what was written.

SOON.

 **Again, thank yous galore go to Midnight Cougar who beta'd this tale and to Readergoof for her magic banner making abilities. I would send copious baked goods to y'all if I had addresses.**

 **I am uncertain if these two are going to continue to speak to me, so I will leave the story as unfinished for now (March 2020). I'd really love to have A Port in the storm Bella and Edward talk before I launch into anything further, just saying. *grin***

 **Thank you for reading! Mwah!**


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